I rode today and the world improved

 It's been over a week and a half since I've ridden!!!! 

*&&*^%%^&^&%*(()). 

It was not for the lack of trying. 

Thursday I put in a nice ride in the wintec, complete with putting on the crupper for the first time in the arena with lunging.

Friday, as planned, I left for Redding to do some backpacking and did not see the horse......

Ditto for Saturday, Sunday, Monday. 

Tuesday I intended to see Farley.  What I did instead was to run errands like searching thrift stores for a food saver (one of those heat sealer gadgets) to put my bear bait (the renamed "spackle") in, since I think making up custom packets is the ticket....and doing an oil change on my car WAY more miles over than I will admit to here (but far enough over that when I called my boyfriend to announce that I had changed my car's oil and instead of the metaphorical "good girl" pat on the head, I instead recieved a lecture on timely oil changes.  But really, Tuesday was a day of rest after a backpacking trip and catching up on life after exiting school on Friday.  Certainly there is time to see Farley in the remainder of the week? 

Wednesday.  Cat died, had to take my practical comprehensive.  "nuff said.

Thursday. Still wallowing in "my cat died", boot fittings/deliveries, preparing for camping trip the next weekend.  Intended to see Farley, but just didn't happen.  Too much icecream, grief, anger, and supernatural episodes.  But there is still hope!!!!!!  Comp on Friday shouldn't last past noon!  I can see Farley before I go! Consolation prize: mailed my Wild West entry for 2 days of 50's.

Friday.  The last straw on a very long, very bad week.  Did the written comprehensive.  Probably a 50/50 chance I passed (or failed).  Driving home I needed gas, so I stopped at a gas station, and.......my car wouldn't start.  AND the car alarm randomly started going off and wouldn't stop by doing all the normal things you are supposed to do.  AND it was parked in the sun.  AND I couldn't get it out of park into neutral so I could push it.  AND my phone was almost dead. 

Verdict after hours spent waiting for tow truck driver + tow truck driver trying to charge my battery + stopping my alarm (at the end involved ripping random wires out of places) + starting my car = my battery is totally done for and I need a new one......BUT the nice driver did NOT want to sell me one and install because we FINALLY got my alarm silenced and the car started and we were afriad it was going to be another 40 minutes to do the same after repalcing the battery in some random parking lot.  My alarm is doing weird things because it's being reset by the battery.  So, I was to drive home, do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not run the air conditioning/radio/lights/windows/phone charger, and most importantly, DO NOT STOP AND SEE MY HORSE.  Tess and I had a very hot 100 degree drive home, in which, if I'm being honest, was a bit heart wrenching to see the stable passing by.

Not that there was time anyways.....time to go on a camping trip. 

Saturday/Sunday: Camping!!!!!!  Again.  But this time less walking and more eating and sitting.  Which is the very definition of the difference between camping and backpacking.

Monday: New job. Weird hours. Good intentions.  Compromise was to stop, drop off the board check, and kiss the pony nose with promises of a brand new tomorrow.

Tuesday (today): I rode!!!!  And it was glorious!!!!  And my horse, if not necessarily good was at least tolerant :). 

I almost didn't ride with a crupper.  Arguments against: 10 days since I rode, this will be the first ride with the crupper, and I'm short of time - no time for bad things to happen this morning.  Argument for: I only have so many rides between now and Wild West. 

So of course I rode with it. 

And again, no drama (besides her insistence that she will. not. unclamp. her. tail.)

During the ride I reached behind me periodically to tug on it - no reaction. 

There are 2 down hills - short but steep - on this route and each time I gave it a little tug before the down hill to remind her it was there, but she didn't even seem to notice. 

I declare her crupper trained. 

Here are some atrocious pics of my current crupper set up. 

 Remind me never to photograph Farley from *this* angle again.  "ugh". 

I don't have a loop at the back of the saddle, AND I don't have the little straps that run to my stirrup leathers, so this is my solution until I can get something a bit more "official". 

I put a ziptie on each D ring on the back/side of the saddle, leaving enough space to form a ring. 

Then I took this piece from my dressage bridle - which I have never used - the only thing that Farley would hate my guts more than the slightly tight cavasson on that bridle, is if I put this little band thingy on that fits below the bit is designed to hold her mouth shut.  The name escapes me.  Anyways.  Never used and when I was digging through my ends and pieces, I decided this would work. I strapped it between the 2 zipties, and then attached the crupper to the leather piece.  Voila!!!!!